Michigan: Waterloo Recreation Area

Not far from Michigan International Speedway (MIS) and adjacent to the city of Chelsea, the 20,000-acre Waterloo Recreation Area beckons outdoor adventurers. Home to scenic lakes and nearly 50 miles of hiking trails, Waterloo also offers residential and day camps, where kids can fish, hike and experience the outdoors firsthand. Racing for Wildlife supports the Waterloo Recreation Area as part of an effort to expand outdoor opportunities for Michigan youth.

The Conservation Fund has joined with the Chelsea Chamber of Commerce in the Gateways Communities Initiative, an effort to connect local communities near MIS with natural areas like the Waterloo Recreation Area. The project is focused on utilizing these communities in a new way that both promotes use of these valuable natural areas and attracts tourists to the surrounding communities. The effort would take advantage of the thousands of recreational visitors that come to the Waterloo area each year. In June 2010 Racing for Wildlife hosted a Nature and Commerce Event at MIS to highlight these critical efforts.